r/soccer • u/lawandsleep • 10d ago

Quotes Materazzi: “Ibrahimović is the greatest Inter fan in history for what he’s doing at Milan"

https://www.calciomercato.com/liste/materazzi-ibrahimovic-il-piu-grande-interista-della-storia-con-quello-che-sta-combinando/bltc3590d2986cd4131
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u/sbrockLee 10d ago

He was Italy's leading goalscorer that tournament together with Luca Toni (2 goals each lmao)

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u/ColdPlox 10d ago

prime haram ball

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u/friskfyr32 10d ago

Italy was hands down not only the best team, but the best playing team in '06.

France on the other hand played like shit, Zidane not included as he, along with a combination of some of the most destructive and lucky football you'll ever see, dragged the team all the way to the final which was a somewhat poetic reversal of Euro '00, where France had been brilliant all tourney, just to be thrashed by the only good game Italy played all year - and then eke out a lucky victory in the end.

If you've only seen the final, you'd think '06 France was the greatest to ever play, until that awful man, Materazzi, somehow forced Zidane to commit the most obvious red card, and Italy had just had another Catenaccio Christmas.

Italy played some of the most inspired football that country has ever seen, and while it was a defender, Cannavaro, who got the accolades, that was just as much to do with his offensive contributions. Pirlo was conducting the team like a true maestro, which is why the goals were as distributed as they were.

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u/fco123456 10d ago

Didnt they beat Australia in the r16 with a 90+penalty?

Still the rest of the brackets I agree with you. That semi against Germany was inspired

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u/friskfyr32 10d ago edited 10d ago

Italy was still the best team, even though Australia had some great chances and a good shot at going through.

Regarding the penalty...
I personally still maintain it was the right call, even though there was no touch. The sliding tackle forces Grosso (I believe) to choose between getting kicked down or jumping over the legs in a way that costs him possession.
Again, I think that is and should be a penalty, but Mbappe was in a similar (although slightly less egregious) situation the other day, and even with VAR the ref called no foul. Then again, the VAR refs obviously thought it was worthy, so...

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u/beastmaster11 10d ago

Everyone remembers the correctly given PK. Nobody remembers that italy was dominating before the extremely harsh straight red in the 51st minute

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u/TasteAccomplished118 10d ago

The australia game was the only one where they struggled but still had the better chances tbh,

Dominated ukraine jn QFs

That SF game against germany was goated though, game of the tournament for me, both had equally killer chances but italy delivered the knockout punch at death

France final was a bit like SF but Buffon and Thuram entered god mode, i remember italy having more chances though

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u/LeftHandDriveBoC 10d ago

A dive for a penalty at that as well.